Nothing so low as a Fallen Angel. When the Guardian reprinted excerpts of Nick Cohen’s book about the Left it faced a storm of commentary from its readers. I have an extract, provided courtesy of a reader, which suggests why the Leftist readers would find Cohen’s book infuriating. All I can say is that Cohen barely fails to scratch the surface; in terms of absurdity and tragedy, of the Leftist Deep. Here’s how the Guardian describes Cohen’s book, and you can guess why its readers should find it so maddening.

More…and most damning:

It is really impossible to understand the rise of fascism in the world without taking a close look at the single most destructive ideology in modern history. I still remember a close German friend telling me that it was a mistake to imagine that his country’s worst export was Hitler. Far from it, he said. That honor was reserved for Karl Marx.

It is not novel to say that socialism is dead. My argument is that its failure has brought a dark liberation to people who consider themselves to be on the liberal left. It has freed them to go along with any movement however far to the right it may be, as long as it is against the status quo in general and, specifically, America. I hate to repeat the overused quote that ‘when a man stops believing in God he doesn’t then believe in nothing, he believes anything’, but there is no escaping it. Because it is very hard to imagine a radical leftwing alternative, or even mildly radical alternative, intellectuals in particular are ready to excuse the movements of the far right as long as they are anti-Western.

Here is a bucket of pearls. Please overlook the fact that the author asks your help in casting them before a herd of swine. They are pearls nonetheless.—GR.

With a new Congress convening, it’s time to recall the ideals of America as expressed by Thomas Jefferson in our Declaration of Independence. The following is a new version of the Declaration, updated to reflect the current usurpations and threats we face. It is an urgent call for our newly elected representatives to fulfill the promise of America envisioned by our Founders and for We, The People, to insist that they do.

When in the course of human events, a people find it necessary to rid themselves of a government that has abandoned the sound principles upon which it was founded and that increasingly threatens their lives and liberties, reason requires them to declare the causes of their discontent.We hold these truths to be certain and immutable, that all men by their nature possess unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness; that to protect these rights governments are instituted among men, deriving their just and limited powers from the consent of the governed; that individuals show respect for each other’s rights by associating with one another through voluntary consent; that an act of force against a person violates his rights; and that it is the sole, legitimate purpose of government to ban the initiation of force in society by retaliating with force against it—through the police and courts to apprehend and punish domestic criminals, the military to defend against foreign invaders, and the civil courts to settle disputes among men—thereby insuring the peace and safety of a free and civilized people.That whenever a government becomes destructive of these ends, when it becomes the very instrument of coercion it is supposed to protect against, it is the right and duty of the people to alter it and institute new government that will protect their safety and freedom. The history of the present government of the United States—with state and local governments following suit—is one of a dangerous, unchecked growth of powers leading to the ultimate perversion in which it is the government that holds the reins and the citizens that are saddled, bridled, and spurred to do its bidding. To prove this, let facts be submitted to reasonable minds.The government has violated our right to property and seized our wealth through onerous taxation that totals over 40 percent of

And, John Kerry calls the USA a “pariah” nation. Mr. Senator, I would rather die on my feet fighting the Islamic Fascists than to live on my knees like you and your kind. History will spit on your grave for generations to come.

These two articles, I believe, share a common thread and are worthy of contemplation.

The first:

HATING HORATIO

Written by Dr. Jack Wheeler

Wednesday, 24 January 2007

Ancient Rome’s greatest historian was Titus Livius, known to us as Livy (59 BC-17 AD). In the Second Book of his monumental history of Rome, Ab Urbe Condita (From the Founding of the City), he tells the famous story of Horatio at the Bridge.

In 510 BC, Rome was threatened with destruction from an invading army of Etruscans. All Romans living in the countryside had abandoned their homes and fled for protection inside the city. The city walls were heavily garrisoned, but the most vulnerable point was a wooden bridge, the Pons Sublicius, across the river Tiber and into Rome.

When Etruscan forces focused their attack on the bridge, the Roman troops guarding it fled in fear – save for one man, a soldier named Horatius, whom we call Horatio.

“Proudly,” says Livy, and all alone, “Horatius took his stand at the outer end of the bridge; conscious amongst the rout of fugitives, sword and shield ready for action, he prepared himself for close combat, one man against an army. The advancing enemy paused in sheer astonishment at such reckless courage.”

Horatio bellowed to his fleeing comrades that they burn and chop down the bridge while he fought the Etruscans off. Livy continues: Read the rest.

And the second:

The one big question I wake up with and go to sleep with each day is: How deeply into the psyche of America is this Marxist hegemony wedged? And is there a deeper level yet not touched by its vileness? For America’s sake, and the world’s, I hope so. I know that there are many in the Western World who do not fall for the false hopes of a Godless solution to the world’s ills. Will that be enough? I hope that the values engendered by 2000 years of Judeo-Christian values, which produced Europe and America, and instilled in our societies will be sufficient to recognize and to answer the call to throw off the false secular ideology of cultural Marxism.

I don’t believe there is a secular solution, but rather a spiritual solution is necessary. Spiritual solutions always begin with oneself. And the problem there is that we have rejected most of the spiritual archetypes of our ancestors. I see this as failure of pedegogy and of the clergy the world over. So we are left with raw emotion, raw courage to enter the arena, and hopefully, an innate living memory instilled by God. And yet we are doing it – we are living our lives, trying to follow the good. We have had the freedom to live and possibly to grow spiritually – because of our forefathers’ stand for liberty. What we are fighting for now is our children’s and their children’s freedom to do the same. But we must understand that in order to grow spiritually, we need to wake up and look within ourselves in honest appraisal. We are a society too focused on our own goals. We need to open up the boundaries of our own limited goals to include the world’s needs, as well.

What was once a solid, Republican base has now become tarnished by its own greed and ambition. Since there is no viable third party whose values reflect a moderate, conservative platform, we are kind of stuck with the Republicans for the foreseeable future. And there are yet good, strong voices on the right. I pray that the agenda of the cronys leave some room at the table for clear-minded leaders to come to the fore.

RALEIGH — Presidential candidate John Edwards and his family recently moved into what county tax officials say is the most valuable home in Orange County. The house, which includes a recreational building attached to the main living quarters, also is probably the largest in the county. “The Edwardses’ residential property will likely have the highest tax value in the county,” Orange County Tax Assessor John Smith told . He estimated that the tax value will exceed $6 million when the facility is completed.The rambling structure sits in the middle of a 102-acre estate on Old Greensboro Road west of Chapel Hill. The heavily wooded site and winding driveway ensure that the home is not visible from the road. “No Trespassing” signs discourage passersby from venturing past the gate.Don Knight, Orange County building plans examiner, told CJ that, including the recreational building, the Edwardses’ home would be one of the largest in Orange County.

Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., has scheduled a hearing next Tuesday in his Judiciary Committee subcommittee to explore whether Congress has the authority to cut off funding for the U.S. military campaign in Iraq. The move comes as Congress prepares to vote on a congressional resolution opposing President Bush’s escalation of the war.

Feingold, a fierce war critic, will force Democrats to consider an option many consider politically suicidal: denying funds to the military and U.S. soldiers to force a quicker end to the war. Democratic leaders have privately called on members to restrain from cutting off funding and focus on congressional resolutions condemning the Bush policy. The resolutions are nonbinding and therefore symbolic.

In my opinion, this is treason. The Senators who vote for such a measure should be viewed with as much revulsion as General Benedict Arnold. Senator Russ Feingold is giving Aid and Comfort to the enemy in a time of war.

Perhaps President George W. Bush should counter treason like this with a Joint Session of Congress convened with the purpose of asking for a Declaration of War against the Terror Organization al-Qaeda, and all nations and terror groups that ally with, or offer aid to the group.

It would be “Put Up or Shut Up” Time. I feel he has the authority to proceed with with the conduct of World War IV without it, but it would serve the purpose of forcing the Congress Critters to act beyond their petty concerns, and perhaps cure them of their Bush Derangement Syndrome, or the voters would at the earliest opportunity.

If America is truly a 49 v 49 nation, where 49% believe in Senator Feingold’s Philosophy, then we are lost. Truly and well lost.

This is the first in a series of Guest Commentaries I will be hosting from Conservative Activists and Commentators.

EDITING IMPORTANT INFORMATION CAN RUIN A STORY or A WARby Richard Rivette

Leave it to Reuters to omit facts or doctor photos. When they reported recently about a University of Florida study that showed two minutes in a microwave at full power could kill a range of bacteria, viruses and parasites on kitchen sponges, lots of readers tried their theory out.

The news service forgot to mention that the sponges needed to be wet. Very wet. Microwaves operate by accelerating, exciting those water molecules. But if you didn’t know that you end up with a very hard piece of rubbery substance that in some cases caught fire and filled homes with smoke. The article hit its mark and excited a frenzy of response by omitting the salient point. They could have incited a riot. And a lot of homes smell like burning tires now. The University spokesperson let news organizations know that they heard about similar complaints. They thought they should let people know “right away that the sponge should be wet.”

The university issued the following advisory: “To guard against the risk of fire, people who wish to sterilize their sponges at home must ensure the sponge is completely wet. Two minutes of microwaving is sufficient for most sterilization. Sponges should also have no metallic content. Last, people should be careful when removing the sponge from the microwave as it will be hot.” Duh. And duh to the news media, the boneheads. Always able to blow up something innocuous into a disaster to suit their own needs for news. News is a product today. Boring news doesn’t sell. Death and destruction sells. So that’s what we get.

We need those kinds of advisories when receiving reports about our success in Iraq. Take the news with a grain of salt and handle with care.

What did he say? Success? Did that man just use the word Iraq and success in the same sentence?

Yes, he did Virginia, and there is a Santa Claus. You know how I know? I don’t listen to nor read the popular pabulum that passes for news today. The news organizations sensationalized the war on terror to such an extent they have rallied the American populace behind them to decry that it is another Vietnam. It isn’t. The news media spent years now defrauding the public and blaming George Bush for the world’s ills. They’ve spent every waking moment deriding everything this country has done. And only reported one imbalanced side of what has been achieved overseas.

They have demoralized our population to the point where the entire Congress was skewed left. Where people are protesting as in the 60s again. And they forgot to print that very important fact. That your sponge should be wet before inserting it in the microwave.

The American public heard about more dead soldiers today, as did the armed forces courtesy of the respectful report by armed forces radio. But here is what they did not hear. What bolsters the President’s plan to place more troops in Baghdad to quell the sectarian violence, much of which the media had a hand in creating. Reporting false stories of treatment at Guantanamo, of flushed Korans (never happened), of rape and murder by U.S. troops as if it were widespread and rampant. It isn’t. They’ve blown up any isolated incident into the second coming. So they are complicit as traitors should we fail.

What you did not hear today was that THREE of our four northern divisions in the country stood down so the Iraqi divisions could take over all forward operations. Our military will only supply medical evacuation and some logistical background assistance. The Iraqis are taking control of large sections of their country, but that’s not what you are being told.

Our Senate is passing paper resolutions to help us fail, while our troops are strategically moved in country to cordon off violent areas and search, door-to-door as needed, to end militia dominance. The mission is on track. I am sorry if some want magic solutions. The complainers and protesting idiots do not help our position overseas with North Korea, Iran, Syria and other terrorist states by undermining this administration.

They can hardly call themselves Americans. Yes. Protest. Get it out. Then sit down, shut up and join the discussion to help facilitate an end to hostilities. That means subduing the enemy. Not turning on your own brothers.

The worst part is that the media avoids any reporting of the positive side of our efforts. The chipping away at terrorist effectiveness, the killing of their leaders, the trampling of their efforts to build new inroads. We are continuing to make progress but we are told the opposite. As if the entire military is a joke.

I truly hope those liberal liars don’t ever have to face a fight here at home. They will all be shot or incinerated by an enemy who does not distinguish between those who were tolerant and those who were not. They are going to be executed and I almost believe it serves them right. When you spend your whole day defending the enemy of freedom and liberty you get what you planned to receive.

Our forces will continue the fight, as always. Our new Congress will draw incorrect conclusions from insipid news reports. And people like Keith Ellison will hold up a Jeffersonian Koran as evidence of the founding father’s tolerance. When he was not. Jefferson believed the hype of his day about Islam. At first. He wanted so much to have everyone get along. Until he read the Koran. He read it to understand his enemy.

During the period of the Barbary Coast pirates (Islamic Fascist states along North Africa), Jefferson had to deal with the Dey of Algiers among others who lead jihad against American sailors. Innocent men and boys were killed, enslaved, castrated to be eunuchs and held in prisons for years without the pleasant accommodations present at Guantanamo.

Jefferson knew his enemy and recommended all out warfare against them once he understood them. That’s why the marines sing about “the shores of Tripoli”. Because they fought their country’s battles on the land and on the sea, from the very beginning.

As they do today. They press on. And Mr. Ellison, his supporters, the Islamic Fascists, Senator Clinton, and the entire left of this country have it wrong, because they believe the hype and media reports. Jefferson knew his enemy which is more than our liberals today do.

Keep the faith USA. We will see this through in the end somehow. It is not over by a long shot, but when you have an enemy willing to work for 1,400 years for your destruction, you have to have patience as well.

Fortunately, the fools running around today are a momentary phenomenon. We will be given a sobering reminder from the enemy I am sure, now that Congress will gut the President’s ability to defend us.

So then who should we blame when it happens?

Ourselves. For allowing ourselves to be duped by the edited version of the facts. The WMDs were carted off to Syria in 56 air flights documented in many ways. They exist in expanded underground bunkers alongside Syrian missiles. And they are buried in the Bekaa valley along the border and inside Lebanon. Do you think these terrorist states are going to openly tell us they have what we are looking for? Are you that naïve? Do you think other nations did not help undermine us? Nations like Russia, Brazil, and others? They did. Germany and France have enormous economic interests in Iran. They are torn between their NATO alliances and the need to sustain their economies. Do you think they don’t look the other way sometimes?

Do you remember being told there were no terrorists in Iraq?The Ansar al-Islam terror organization practiced hijackings using mocked up airliners in the eastern Iraqi landscape with Saddam’s blessing. The Iranians have infiltrated every facet of the country now and we are in an undeclared war against them, a people led by a man who denies the Holocaust and desires nuclear weapons to annihilate us.

Do you remember Abu Nidal the notorious terrorist who pushed a defenseless, wheelchair bound American off the side of a cruise ship, the Achillae Lauro, in Greece?Do you know where he lived? Baghdad. Do you know who his physician was? Saddam’s. With Saddam’s blessing. How blind does on have to be to the simple plain truth?

You can disbelieve what you want. Achmedinejad told us point blank he would vaporize Israel and the US. At least he is being open about it. So what do we do when it happens?

Pray. Focus. Respond. With all the force we can muster. And end their unholy Jihad once and for all. It is a sickness that must stop. We are the only ones who can stop it if we have the courage. We have to decide that Islam is evil and it must be removed as the cancer it is from the face of humanity.

From what the media portrays we Americans are no better than those stinking, burning sponges. Given what the enemy wants to do to us, those sponges probably have it better right now.

-Richard Rivettehttp://www.rivettegroup.comAuthority is granted to reproduce this article at will provided the notice is given that the contents are copyright 2007 Richard Rivette. -30-